When Hibiki arrived at Satomi's front door, he knocked. Satomi's father, Kyo, answered the door.
"Yes?" Kyo asked, not trying to sound rude but found himself awkwardly staring at a man with a woman in his arms.
"This is for you." Hibiki held out Minako who was in his arms.
Minako growled at Hibiki as she jumped to her feet and sat down, her back to Hibiki. "You're a jerk..." She mumbled, her face heating up again.
"No, kidding." Hibiki laughed and looked back at Kyo. "Come on, Kyo! You don't remember me?"
Kyo furrowed his brows and thought hard. "Not really."
Suddenly Satomi's mother, Hana, came up behind Kyo and placed her hand gently on Kyo's shoulder. She looked for a moment and her face lit up. "Kyo! You didn't tell me Hibiki visited!" Hana squealed and ran out to hug Hibiki tightly. Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn't help but begin to sob. Kyo's eyes saddened as he watched his wife cry.
"H...Hibiki?" Kyo gasped as he stepped out and wrapped his arms around his wife an Hibiki.
"Oh jeez! Can I go back home?" Minako growled from her spot on the ground.
Both Kyo and Hana pulled away to look at Minako on the ground. Hana wipped away her tears and laughed. "I'm so sorry about that! Come on in, both of you!" Hana entered her house and held open the door for her husband and Hibiki who had to drag Minako inside by the shoulder cloth.
"Kyo, Hana, this is Minako Uma." Hibiki stated.
"Uma...?" Kyo narrowed his eyes at Minako.
Hana quickly hit Kyo in the stomach before Minako saw his look. "All guests are welcomed in our house, especially when they're with Hibiki." Hana said and held out her hand to Minako with a gentle smile.
Minako wasn't really listening. Her eyes were glancing around the room at the many pictures of Satomi. 'Stupid happy girl with stupid happy parents...' Minako thought bitterly.
Hibiki elbowed Minako in the arm and nodded towards Hana's outstretched hand.
Minako shakily reached out to take Hana's hand and forced a pitiful smile.
"So what happened to you?" Kyo asked Hibiki. "We were devestated when we heard the news of..." his voice trailed off as his head lowered with sadness.
"I was taken with...them..." Hibiki shook his mind of that night. "I was raised by a man who goes by the name of Hotaka."
Kyo raised his eyebrows. "That name rings a bell."
"Don't think too much on it. Besides, he was killed anyways." Hibiki shrugged. "I was in the village for a mission with my grateful friend, and girlfriend," Hibiki reached out to hold Minako's hand. "and I thought I'd come visit. I was telling Minako here about Satomi and thought it would be great if they had a formal introduction. Besides, Minako needs some happiness in her life and whose better to provide that?" Hibiki laughed and the two parents chipped in to.
"Good point." Hana agreed before calling out her daughters name.
Minako's eyes widened with fear as she looked at Hibiki.
"What?" Hibiki asked.
"I don't want to do this..." She told him nervously.
"All you have to do is say 'hi'." Hibiki frowned.
Minako sighed. "O-Okay..."
Satomi came bouncing down the stairs and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh! Hibiki, right. Minako!" Satomi bowed her head respectfully. "How are the two of you?"
"We are pretty good, right Minako?"
Minako nodded.
"Oh, so the two of you have already reunited?" Hana grinned.
"Reunited?" Satomi asked with confusion.
"Not exactly." Hibiki sighed.
Satomi turned to look at Hibiki. "Re...united?"
"Remember Makato and Sora Hiroshimo?" Kyo asked.
Satomi's eyes widened as she finally realized what reunited meant to them all. "Hibiki...Hibiki Hiroshimo? Hibiki?" Satomi squealed as she ran over and threw her arms around Hibiki's neck. "I have missed you so much! I thought you were killed along with your parents! Where were you? What happened to you? We have to catch up!" Satomi sighed as she stepped back. "It really is great to see you again. I'm sorry I hadn't recognized you before."
"Like Father, like daughter." Hana said and both Hana and Hibiki laughed together.
Minako looked around the room before heading toward the door.
"So you and Minako are dating?" Satomi asked with a smile.
Minako froze in her steps to face Satomi. "Yes." She stated coldly.
"That's wonderful. You're lucky to have Hibiki." Satomi said gently.
Minako nodded before reaching for the doorknob.
"Minako?" Hibiki turned towards Minako's direction and lightly touched her hand. "Please stay and get to know her."
Minako looked uneasily at the three Umino's before looking back at Hibiki. "I-I can't do this..." She whispered.
"What if we go for a walk with her alone?" Hibiki tried again.
Minako looked over at Satomi before looking at Hibiki again. "Are you even going to give me a choice?" She hissed under her breath.
"I will, but I'm sincerely asking for you to get to know her before you say you don't like her."
"Fine... I'll be outside..." She mumbled, opening the door and closing it behind her.
"And you chose her?" Kyo asked.
Hana hit Kyo's stomache again. "Kyo..." She frowned.
"I was only joking; Hibiki knows that." Kyo scratched the back of his head. "Although I think Satomi might have brightened his day more."
"Dad!" Satomi blushed, also hitting her dad in the stomache.
"She's had a hard childhood, and it's effected her greatly. She is great when you get to know her, but she's still afraid of herself." Hibiki stated.
"Well, we're glad that you're lighting up her day." Satomi smiled.
Hana and Kyo also smiled and Hana put her hand on Satomi's head.
"So, is it alright if I take your daughter on a walk with Minako and I?" Hibiki asked.
"Go ahead. Have her back before dark." Kyo laughed. "Joking." He said somberly.
Satomi rolled her eyes as Hibiki and herself exitted the building and met Minako outside.
Minako was sitting on the ground again as her eyes stared at the sky.
"You coming, Minako?" Hibiki asked an stretched out his hand.
Minako looked nervously at Satomi before taking Hibiki's hand in her own to stand. She walked further ahead of the others. "Where we going anyway?"
"For a walk." Hibiki replied an reached out to pull Minako back by his side, wrapping his arm around her waist.
Minako blushed. "No what I meant... I meant where exactly."
"Around." Hibiki replied.
"So, how are you Minako?" Satomi asked with a warm smile.
Minako sighed. "I'm... fine... I guess." She answered honestly.
"That's good!" Satomi said. "I heard you got into a fight with Keiko. Sorry about her, she's not so good with other females." Satomi laughed.
"Fight? There was no fight, had Hibiki stayed away, that girl would have been dead." Minako stated coldly with a smirk.
"Wouldn't doubt it. She jumps into fights thinking she's the best but it usually just makes her weaker. She is strong, but because of her cockiness she doesn't know how to be strategic."
Minako nodded. "I could tell that by how she tried to fight back."
"I didn't get to fight her but Kazuko did. They seemed to be of equal strength and I defeated Kazuko, so maybe I would defeat her too? I don't know, maybe Kazuko didn't want to go hard against her?" Satomi laughed.
Minako shrugged. "Kazuko... is that the guy who had been with us earlier? 'Cause he looked easy."
"The red hed, yes. His name is Kazuko Sam...sara..." The words slipped from Hibiki lips before he could stop them.
Minako's eyes widened. "K-Kazuko ... S-Samsara?"
"It's alright, Minako." Hibiki said, knowing that something bad was about to happen.
"What?" Satomi asked oblivious.
Minako shook her head as she grabbed her head with one of her hands. She slowly walked away as she panicked. "N-no... why... not now! Ugh!" She screamed as the memory flooded her mind.
"Minako, it'll be alright, I'm here!" Hibiki ran up to wrap his arms around Minako from behind, trying to comfort her.
Minako shook her head violantly as she struggled in Hibiki's hold. "No! It's not fair! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" She screamed again.
"Leave the past as the past, Minako!" Hibiki said and turned Minako around in his arms, burying her face into his chest.
"I guess I'm missing something?" Satomi asked and laughed nervously.
Minako slipped through Hibiki's arms until she was sitting on the ground. She grabbed her head with both hands as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry... I-I'm so sorry... I don't want to hurt anymore!" She screamed breathlessly.
Hibiki bent down and grabbed her face with both hands. "Minako, please calm down." Hibiki looked sorrowfully into her eyes. "It'll be fine."
Minako shook her head as her body trembled. "No!" She screamed.
Hibiki frowned and leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. "It'll be alright." He whispered and wrapped his arms around her neck.
Minako slowly started to calm down as tears still fell down her face. She pulled away from Hibiki and lowered her head shamefully as she cried silently.
"It's the past, Minako." Hibiki said and leaned his forehead against hers.
"B-But... h-he was helping me... a-and I-I... killed him..." She cried biting her lip until she drew blood.
"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know." Hibiki whispered.
Satomi gasped silently. "Oh..."
Minako shook her head. "I-It was my fault... I was the o-one... w-who did it!"
"You didn't know." Hibiki murmured.
Minako shut up as she tried to breath normally. When she finally calmed down enough she searched Hibiki's eyes. "I-I'm s-so sorry..." She told him.
"You have nothing to apologize for." Hibiki replied sincerely.
Minako leaned her head against Hibiki's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. "I-I don't get... why... you bother with m-me..." She told him, choking on a sob.
"Because I love you." Hibiki replied.
Satomi sighed inwardly. 'I remember that feeling...'
Hibiki smiled gently and wipped Minako's tears. "You're still so beautiful to me."
Minako laughed weakly at Hibiki. "You're too good for me..." She whipsered.
"And vice versa." Hibiki chuckled.
Minako shook her head as she pulled herself to her feet. She sniffled before looking at Satomi. "S-Sorry..." She mumbled, embaressed.
"It's alright, Minako." Satomi giggled. "Sometimes it's hard to forget stuff." Satomi moved closer and brought Minako in for a soft hug.
Minako froze in Satomi's hold. 'Wh-what?' She thought, confused. 'N-No one besides Hibiki... has ever... gotten this close.. to me.'
Satomi pulled back and warmly smiled. "Hibiki is right, you are beautiful."
Hibiki turned to look blankly at Satomi. "You're a lucky one, Hibiki." Satomi giggled.
Minako shook her head as she took a step back from Satomi. She grabbed her head, suddenly feeling dizzy.
Hibiki walked over to Minako and picked her up. "I think I should take her back to our place." Hibiki said and smiled apologetically.
"That's fine." Satomi laughed. "She has been through a lot today."
"I'll see you again then?" Hibiki smiled.
Satomi nodded and waved before turning and heading back to her house. "It was nice to meet you, Minako!" Satomi called back.
Minako closed her eyes in Hibiki's arms to try and stop the world from spinning.
AN: Yay! :3 Heheheheh! 3333
XxSoulNoteWritterxX